Photographic camera



Jan. L 1946. J. G. ZUBER 3929232 PHOTOGRAPHIC CAMERA Filed June 17, 1942 -3 Sheeis-Sheet l INVENTUR LDHN E. ZUEEH A EY M Zig);

Jan. L

J. G. ZUBER PHOTOGRAPHIC CAMERA Filed June 17 1942 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTU T TEIHN E. ZUEEH EY/f/Md.

ATTY.

Jan. l, 1946. J. G. ZUBER PHOTOGRAPHIC CAMERA Filed June 17, 1942 3 Sheets-Sheet I5 INVENTUR JUHN E. ZUBER EY l 2;,

ATTY.

Patented Jan. 1, 1946 PHOTOGRAPHIC CAMERA John G. Zuber, Chicago, Ill., assignor to The Bell & H oi' Illinois owell Company, Chicago, Ill., a corporation Application June 17, 1942, serial Nn. 447,313

(ci. ss-is) 4 Claims.

My invention relates particularly to a photographic camera of the sequential exposure or motion picture type involving a spring motor for driving the camera mechanism.

Objects of the invention reside in the novel and effective indication of both a predetermined run of the camera mechanism and predetermined portions of said run, the former for the instant purpose of indicating that the sequential exposure element or film strip in the camera has been fully exposed, and the latter for the instant purpose of indicating predetermined scene periods.

The invention will be more clearly understood by reference to the accompanying drawings in which- Figures 1, 2 and `3 are similar partial side elevational sectional views of a magazine loading motion picture camera embodying my invention and showing the mechanism in different positions of its operation;

Figures 4, 5 and 6 are similar partial sectional views substantially on the line 4-4 of Figure 3 and showing the mechanism in different positions of its operation;

Figure 7 is a partial sectional view substantially on the line I'I of Figure 1;

Figure 8 is a partial perspective view of the mechanism with parts broken away;

Figure 9 is an enlarged partial section substantially on the line 9 9 of Figure 1; and

Figure 10 is a perspective view of one of the film footage dial driving gears hereinafter described.

Referring to the drawings, I designates generally a camera casing within which is secured a mechanism frame comprising frame plates 2 and 3 spaced transversely of the camera. The frame plate 2 is disposed adjacent a side wall oi' the casing while the frame plate 3 is disposed intermediate the side walls of the casing, thus providing a film magazine chamber, indicated at 4 in Figure 7, within the casing on the side of the plate 3 opposite that on which the plate 2 is disposed. A film magazine of a suitable type, not shown, is interchangeably accommodated within the film chamber 4 to provide a magazine loaded camera.

A view finder 5 of the direct vision type extends forwardly and rearwardly through the upper portion of the casing for viewing a scene being photographed.

'I'he mechanism of the camera, not shown, is driven by a spring motor, generally designated at 6 in Figures 7 and 8, and including a rotatable cylindrical driving member l driven by the spring of the motor and provided with a peripheral gear 8 for driving the camera mechanism.

A film footage dial 9 facing outwardly of the camera casing is rotatably mounted by reason of it being secured on a shaft II which extends through and is journaled in a bore I 2 through the frame plate 2 as best shown in Figure 9. A ratchet gear I3, at the inner face of the frame plate 2, is secured on the shaft II. A vertical shaft I4 has its lower portion journaled by means of a bearing bracket I5 secured on the inner face of the plate 2 and provided with a vertical slot I6 engaging the shaft I4 and confining it against the inner face of the plate 2. The upper portion of the shaft I4 is iournaled by means of a. lug I'I struck from the plate 2 and extending parallel thereto to form a slot bearing I8 with the inner face of the plate 2 in which the shaft I4 is engaged.

A ratchet toothed worm gear I9 is secured on the upper end of the shaft I4 and is held in mesh with the ratchet gear I3 for driving the same by means of a U-shaped spring 2| arranged in the slot bearing I8 and engaging the shaft I4, the spring permitting the ratchet gear I3 tu ratchet on the worm gear I9 for setting the footage dial 9.

A spur gear 22 is rotatably mounted on the bearing bracket I5, as designated at 23, and meshes with the gear 8 of the driving member 'I of the spring motor for the driving of the gear 22 therefrom. One face of the gear 22 is provided with a spiral gear tooth 24, as shown in Figures 8 and 10, and a star toothed gear 25 is secured on the lower end of the shaft i4 and meshes with the spiral gear tooth 24, thus completing a drive from the driving member 'I of the spring motor to the footage dial 9, this drive comprising a reduction drive train by reason of the reduction drive of the spiral gear tooth 24 meshing with the star gear 25 and the worm gear I9 meshing with the ratchet gear I3. Accordingly, the footage dial 9 operates a single revolution to a plurality of revolutions of the driving member 'l of the spring motor.

One end of a signal arm 26 is pivotally mounted on a stationary transversely disposed stud structure 2l secured on the frame plate 3, and the signal arm has its free end or signal portion, designated at 28, extending substantially at right angles to the main portion thereof and extending into the tube of the view finder through an opening 29 therethrough. In the pivotal movement of the arm 26, the end portion 28 thereof is movable into and out of signaling position visitorsion spring 3| encircles the stud structure 21 and operates between the stud structure and the signal arm 26 to yieldably urge the signal arm into signaling position or clockwise in Figures 1, 2 and 3. y

A vertically disposed bar 32 is provided with a generally vertical slot 33 in the region of its upper end which is slidably engaged on the stud structure 21, and is provided with a bearing portion 3d in the region of its lower end which is slidably engaged in a generally vertical slide bearing 35 on the frame plate 3, the 'bar 32 being thus vertically movable. The upper portion of the bar 32 is provided with a lateral extension 36 which is engageable upwardly against a lateral extension 31 on the intermediate portion of the signal arm 26, so that upward movement of the bar 32 eiects movement of the signal arm, against the iniiuence of the spring 3l, in the direction of its non-signaling position or counterclockwise in Figures 1, 2 and 3.

The lower end of the bar 32, designated at 38, is engageable downwardly on the periphery of the driving member 1 of the spring motor, which periphery is normally of constant radius, and the driving member 1 normally serves to maintain the bar 32 in its uppermost position in which the signal arm 26 is thereby positioned in its uppermost or non-signaling position with the signal portion 28 of the signal arm substantially withdrawn upwardly from a position visible in the view '.finder, the field of which is dened-by a usual mask 39, as shown in Figure 5.

The periphery of the driving member 1 of the spring motor is provided with an angularly extending cam depression 3l into which the lower end 38 of the bar 32 is engageable to permit downward movement of the bar 32 and of the signal arm 26 to position the signal portion 28 of the signal arm in its lowermost or extreme signaling position in which a maximum portion of the signal portion 28 is visible in the view iinder, as shown in Figures 3 and 4, and to effect return of the signal arm into its non-signaling position, as shown in Figures 1 and 5, this action as shown being effective once during each revolution of the driving member 1.

A cam 42 is secured with the footage dial shaft Il and is thus secured with the footage dial 9 for rotation therewith at the rate of one revolution to a plurality of revolutions of the driving .member 1 of the spring motor through the reduction driving train hereinbefore described. A lateral projection 43 on the upper end of the bar 32 engages downwardly on the periphery of the cam member 42, which periphery is normally of constant radius, and this cam member normally serves to maintain the bar 32 in an intermediate vertical position in which the signal arm 26 is thereby positioned in an intermediate signaling position, between the aforesaid non-signaling and extreme signaling positions thereof, in which intermediate signaling position a minor portion of the signal portion 28 is visible in the view tlnder, as shown in Figures 2 and 6.

The periphery of the cam member B2 is pro-` vided with an angularly extending cam depression 44 into which the projection 43 of the bar 32 is engageable to permit downward movement of the bar 32 and the signal arm 26 to position the signal portion 28 of the signal arm in the aforesaid lowermost or extreme signaling position, as shown in Figures 3 and 4. and to eiect return of the signal arm into its intermediate signaling bie in the view ander as hereinafter described. A

position, as shown in Figures 2 and 6, this action as shown being eiective once during each revolution of the cam member 42 and of the footage dial 9.

Assuming the camera to be loaded with an unexposed film, as by the insertion of a iilm magazine in the lm chamber 4, the footage dial 9 is disposed at its starting or zero `footage position in which the constant radius portion of the cam member 42 underlies the projection 43 of the lbar 32 to limit downward movement of the signal arm 2B to its intermediate signaling position.

As the film is exposed due to the driving of the camera mechanism by rotation of the driving member 1 of the spring motor, the footage dial 9 and the cam member 42 are slowly moved in a clockwise direction in Figures 1, 2 and 3the footage dial indicating the length of the film exposed. The depression B4 of the cam member 42 is so placed that it does not underlie the projection 43 until a predetermined run of the camera mechanism and the consequent exposure of a predetermined length of the film has taken place. When the depression 44 does underlie the projection 43, it permits downward movement of the signal arm 26 to its lowermost or extreme signaling position and thus indicates in the view finder the end of said predetermined run, namely that the nlm is fully exposed and that the camera requires reloading, it being observed that, in the extreme signaling position of the signal armfglthe signal portion 28 effects a maximum obstrudtion of the view in' the view finder with consequent maximum signal.

Observing that the footage dial 9 and the cam i2 have a one revolution cycle, the driving member 1 of the spring motor rotates a plurality of revolutions to one of the footagedial and the cam. As the driving member 1 rotates, its periphery normally maintains the signal arm 26 in its uppermost or non-signaling position by upward engagement thereof with the lower end 38 of the bar 32, as shown in Figures 1 and 5. When the cam depression dl of the driving member i underlies the end 38, it permits downward movement of the signal arm 26 to its lowermost position, which occurs a plurality of times during the aforesaid predetermined run `of the camera mechanism.

However, due to the fact that, during the aforesaid predetermined run of the camera mechanism, the constant radius portion of the cam member i2 underlies the projection 33 of the bar 32, the signal arm 26 may only move to its aforesaid intermediate signaling position during said aforesaid predetermined run when the cam depression lil underlies the end 38, which resuits in a different or minimum signal being visible in the view nder at predetermined intervals during said predetermined run of the camera mechanism, as shown in Figures 2 and 6, namely to indicate predetermined scene lengths.

At the end of the said predetermined run of the camera mechanism, the cam depression 4I underlies the lower end 38 of the slide bar 32 simultaneously with the cam depression 44 underlying the projection 33 of the slide bar 32. Thus at the end of said predetermined run, the signal arm 26 is positioned in its extreme or maximum signaling position (Figures 3 and 4)', at said predetermined intervals the signal arm 26 is positioned in a different or intermediate signaling position (Figures 2 and 6), and between said intervals the signal arm 26 is positioned in plunger 46 axially of the non-signaling position (Figures 1 and 5). The extreme end of the signal portion 28 of the signal arm 25 is preferably decreased in width, as designated at 45, to form a lesser obstruction of the view of the view nder, to the end that, while the aforesaid predetermined run intervals are signaled in the view nder, such signal does not substantially obstruct the view through the view finder in the event that it is desired to continue the camera operation beyond a signaled interval.

As hereinbefore described, the camera is of the magazine loading type and has a magazine chamber, indicated at 4 in Figure 7, in which a lm magazine is interchangeably accommodated. A transversely disposed ejector plunger 49 extends across between and is slidably mounted in aimed apertures 41 and 48 respectively through the frame plates 2 and 3, as best shown in Figure 7. A compression spring 49 encircles the plunger 45 and operates between the frame plate 3 and a shoulder l on the plunger to yieldably urge the plunger into non-electing position or to the right in Figure 7, a flange 52 on the plunger being engageable against the frame plate 2 to limit movement of the plunger in this direction.

The outer end 53 of the ejector plunger projects into an inwardly counterbored aperture 54 through the camera casing I, so that the plunger may be manually actuated into its ejecting position in opposition to the spring 49 or to the left as shown in Figure 7. In this electing movement, the inner` end 55 of the plunger is projected into the magazine chamber 4 to engage against a film magazine in the chamber and move it out of its seated position in the chamber for the convenient removal of the magazine.

A latch lever 55 is intermediately pivoted on the frame plate 2 by means of a transversely arranged elongated aperture' 51 through the intermediate portion of the lever engaging on a stud structure 58 on the plate 2, as best shown in Figure 8. A spring 59 is operative on the latch lever to normally maintain one end of the aperture 51 against the stud structure 58 and to yieldably permit movement of the lever longitudinallyA of the aperture 51, thus forming a yieldable pivot mounting for the latch lever. The spring 59 also serves to yieldably urge the latch lever in one direction of its pivotal movement, i. e., to the right in Figures 1, 2, 3 and 8.

One end of the latch lever is provided with a latch shoulder 5I, which in the pivotal positioning of` the latch lever by the spring 59, see Figures 2 and 3, engages the flange 52 of the ejector plunger to lock the plunger in non-ejecting position, thus preventing manual actuation of the ejector plunger to eject the film magazine, the latch lever being operable in its pivotal movement out of locking position, see Figures 1, 7 and 8, to release the ejector plunger for manual actuation into ejecting position. Lugs 62 and 63 on the frame plate 2 slidably engage the latch lever on opposite sides of the pivotal axis thereof, see Figure 8, to laterally position the same.

The end of the latch lever 56 opposite `that carrying the latch shoulder 6|, designated at 64, lies in the region of the cam member 42. The cam member 42 is provided with a cam lug 65 in which the rotation of the footage dial and cam member engages the end 64 of the latch lever to actuate the latch lever in opposition to the spring 59 and release the latch shoulder 6l from the flange 52 to permit ejecting movement of the ejector plunger 4B, as shown in Figures 1, 7 and 8, the spring 59 returning the latch lever to latching position when the cam lug 63 disengages from the end 64 oi' the latch lever.

The lug 65 is so positioned, angularly of the single revolution footage dial 9 and the cam member 42, that it releases the latch lever 56 approximately at the end of the aforesaid predetermined run of the camera mechanism, as shown at a short interval after said predetermined run, thus preventing ejection of the magazine until the film therein has been fully exposed.

The spring 59 in cooperation with the elongated mounting aperture 51 of the latch lever provides a yieldable pivotal mounting for the latch lever. so that in the event that ejecting pressure is exerted on the ejector plunger 46 when the cam lug 65 engages the latch lever, the mounting thereof will yield to prevent damage to the mechanism.

While I have thus described my invention, I do not wish to be limited to the precise details described, as changes may be readily made Withoui departing from the spirit of my invention, bui having thus described my invention, I claim a: new and desire to secure by Letters Patent the following:

1. In a photographic camera of the sequential exposure type, the combination with a signal member reciprocable into and out oi' an extreme signaling position and having an intermediate signaling position, of means tending to move said signal member from non-signaling position into said extreme signaling position, single cycle means under the control of the camera mechanisrn and operative to normally prevent movement of said signal member from said intermediate signaling position into said extreme signaling position and to release said signal member for movement into said extreme signaling position at the end of a predetermined run of the camera mechanism and after such a release to actuate said signal member into said intermediate signaling position, and plural cycle means under the control of the camera mechanism and operative in timed relation with said single cycle means to normally prevent movement of said signal member out of non-signaling position and to release said signal member for movement into said intermediate position deilned by said single cycle means at predetermined intervals during said run of the camera mechanism and after such release to actuate said signal member into said nonsignaling position, the final release of said signal member by said plural cycle means occurring simultaneously with release of said single cycle means, thereby permitting movement of said signal member to said extreme signaling position.

2. In a photographic camera of the sequential exposure spring motor driven type, the combination with a rotatable camera mechanism driving member of a spring motor, of a rotatable film footage indicating dial, a driving train operative to drive said footage dial a single revolution to a plurality of revolutions -of said driving member, a signal member reciprocable into and out of an extreme signaling position and having an intermediate signaling position, means operative to position said signal member in said extreme signaling position at the end of a predetermined run of the camera mechanism and including a rotatable cam element driven by said driving train a single revolution to a plurality of revolutions of said driving member, and means operative to position said signal member in said intermediate signaling position at predetermined intervals v during said run of the camera mechanism includ- .rinden oi means tending to move said signal member from non-signaling position into said extreme signaling position, single cycle means under the control of the camera mechanism and operative to normally prevent movement of said signal member` from said intermediate signaling position into said extreme signaling position and to release said signal member for movement into saidextreme signaling position at the end of a predetermined run of the camera mechanism and after such release to actuate said signal member into said intermediate signaling position, and plural cycle means under the control of the camera mechanism and operative in timed relation with said single cycle means to normally prevent movement of said signal member out of non-signaling position and to release said signal member for movement into said intermediate position dened by said single cycle means at predetermined intervals during said run of the camera mechanism and after such release to actuate said signal member into said non-signaling position, the nal release of said signal member by said plural cycle means occurring simultaneously with release of said single cycle means, thereby permitting movement of said signal member to said extreme signaling position.

4. In a photographic camera of the sequential exposure spring motor driven type. the combination with a view ilnder of the camera, of a' rotatable camera mechanism driving member of a spring motor, a rotatable lm footage indicating dial, a driving train operative to drive said footage dial a single revolution to a plurality of revolutions of said driving member, a signal member reciprocable into and out of an extreme signaling position visible in said view nder and having an intermediate signaling position also visible in said view finder, means operative to position said signal member in said extreme signaling position at the end of avpredetermined'run of the camera mechanism and including a rotatable cam element driven by said driving train a single revolution to a plurality of revolutions of said driving member, and means operative to position said signal member in said intermediate signaling position at predetermined intervals during said run of the camera mechanism including a second rotatable cam element driven by said driving member infone to one revolution relation therewith.

JOHN G. ZUBER. 

